AMBASSADOR LANEY WARNS OF KOREAN DISTRUST TOWARD U.S.

JAMES T. LANEY, THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA, DESCRIBED STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA AT A LUNCHEON IN ATLANTA JUNE 4 OF THE KOREA-SOUTHEAST U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BUT ADDED THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO ARE MARRED BY SKEPTICISM AND MUTUAL IGNORANCE AS THEY INCREASINGLY DO BUSINESS IN EACH OTHER’S COUNTRY.

SOUTH KOREA IS NOW THE U.S.’S FIFTH LARGEST TRADING PARTNER, HAVING SURPASSED GERMANY, AND IT SOON WILL OVERTAKE THE UNITED KINGDOM, HE SAID.  HE ALSO SAID THAT TRADE AMOUNTING TO SOME $50 BILLION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND KOREA IS ALMOST IN BALANCE, ALTHOUGH IT SLIGHTLY FAVORS THE U.S.

“THIS IS NOT A CLIENT STATE BUT AN ALLY WHICH IS A PEER OF OURS,” HE CONTINUED, ADDING THAT SOUTH KOREA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE SURPASSES CHINA’S.

  AS EXAMPLES OF SOUTH KOREA’S GROWING INFLUENCE, HE REFERRED TO ITS MEMBERSHIP IN THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO), AND SAID THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD JOIN THIS SUMMER THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD), WHICH IS COMPRISED OF THE WORLD’S MOST INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES.

WHILE TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES EXPANDS, THE U.S. IS OFTEN ACCUSED BY SOUTH KOREANS “OF BEING RAPACIOUS AND RAVAGING, TRYING TO FORCE OPEN MARKETS AND DO DAMAGE TO INDUSTRY AND EVEN THE CONSUMER.”

BUT IN VIEW OF THE STRENGTH OF KOREAN COMPANIES SUCH AS HYUNDAI AND SAMSUNG, THERE IS NO LONGER A NEED FOR RIGID PROTECTIONIST MEASURES, HE SAID.  “THESE ARE THE MOST MUSCULAR COMPANIES IN THE WORLD.”

DR. LANEY, A FORMER PRESIDENT OF EMORY UNIVERSITY HAS SPENT MUCH OF THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS AS AMBASSADOR DEVELOPING DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH NORTH KOREA.

A FAILURE TO PREVENT DETERIORATING ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES IN NORTH KOREA WOULD BRING ABOUT “GREAT SOCIAL DISLOCATION WHICH WE HAVEN’T SEEN FOR MANY DECADES,” HE SAID.  BUT U.S. EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES AND ADDRESS SECURITY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN VIEWED BY SOME IN SOUTH KOREA WITH SUSPICION AS MEDDLING IN ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

“WE MAKE NO SECRET DEALS WITH THE NORTH,” HE SAID.  “WE SHARE EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE WITH SEOUL.”  THIS COMMENT PROMPTED APPLAUSE FROM THE 75 ATTENDEES AT THE LUNCHEON HELD AT THE CAPITAL CITY CLUB.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CHAMBER ACTIVITIES, CALL GENE HANRATTY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHAMBER, AT (404) 239-5786.